The present invention relates to photographic apparatus in general, especially to still cameras, and more particularly to improvements in pocket cameras of the type wherein the housing is expansible preparatory to the making of exposures and can be reduced in size prior to being stored in a pocket, purse or the like.
In certain presently known still cameras with expansible housing a portion which contains the view finder is movable between a concealed position in which it is confined in the housing proper and an extended position in which the view finder is ready for use. It is also known to provide a still camera with an insert which is reciprocable relative to the housing between a concealed and an exposed position and serves to cock the shutter, to advance the film to count exposures and or to prevent double exposures. In each instance, the reciprocable portion or insert must be pulled to the extended position and pushed to the concealed position. This renders it necessary to move the camera away from a shooting position in front of the user's eye and to return it to such position upon completed cocking of the shutter and/or upon completed transport of the film. Therefore, such cameras are not suited for the making of exposures in rapid succession, for example, for taking pictures of shy animals or of rapidly moving objects. Moreover, the extraction of reciprocable portion or insert from the housing is often difficult, especially if the user manipulates the camera with gloves and/or when the camera is a so-called sub-miniature camera.